HistoryGerald R. Ford Presidential Museum
1.5–2 hours
On the west bank of the Grand River, about a 25-minute walk from the station. Ford is buried on the grounds.
Details at fordlibrarymuseum.gov→MI · Metro pop. 1.1M
Grand Rapids
Beer City, Art City — and a Pere Marquette ride from Chicago to Lake Michigan's eastern shore.
A postcard from the city
Downtown from a Grand River bridge, the Blue Bridge lit up at night, sunset over Oval Beach in Saugatuck, the Lake Michigan shore at Holland, and the De Zwaan windmill on Windmill Island — the Pere Marquette corridor in five frames.
Rails Midwest · City Guide
Grand Rapids rewrote itself. The city that once depended entirely on furniture manufacturing has become a genuine craft-beer capital (40+ breweries within 25 minutes of downtown), a surprisingly serious art city — ArtPrize, the international art competition, turns downtown into a gallery each fall — and a base for the beaches and dunes of Lake Michigan, 25 miles to the west. The Pere Marquette arrives daily from Chicago at the Amtrak station on Century Avenue, on the south edge of downtown — a 10–20 minute walk from the Grand River and downtown restaurants. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum sits on the riverbank; Frederik Meijer Gardens, a large sculpture park and botanical garden, is a rideshare out on the East Beltline. Holland and Saugatuck — tulip fields, a working Dutch windmill, and Lake Michigan beaches — are roughly 35–45 minutes southwest by car, and Holland is also a stop on the same train. Grand Rapids doesn't ask you to lower your expectations.
Art & CultureFood & DrinkOutdoorsArchitectureMusicWeekend Break
Orient yourself
Grand Rapids at a glance
Where the train gets in and where the planes land — tap a pin.
Getting here & around
Getting to & around Grand Rapids
Flying in from abroad, connecting from elsewhere in the US, arriving by Amtrak — and then getting around once you’re here, without renting anything.
By Air
Fly into Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — a major US hub with non-stops from most US cities and European capitals — then take Amtrak from Union Station to Grand Rapids.
GRR → downtown
Rideshare from GRR to downtown Grand Rapids takes about 20 minutes. The Rapid's Route 27 serves the airport on weekdays only, so rideshare is the practical option for most travelers.
By Train — Amtrak
The Pere Marquette runs once daily from Chicago Union Station to Grand Rapids' Vernon J. Ehlers Station (440 Century Ave SW, on the south edge of downtown) in about 4 hours. From GRR Gerald R. Ford International Airport, a rideshare reaches downtown in about 20 minutes; The Rapid's Route 27 serves the airport on weekdays only.
Connecting on Amtrak: The Pere Marquette runs once daily each direction between Chicago Union Station and Grand Rapids — leaving Chicago in the early evening and arriving in Grand Rapids late at night (around 11:30 PM), and leaving Grand Rapids early in the morning (around 6 AM) for the return. Check amtrak.com for current times. No same-day round trip is possible; an overnight in Grand Rapids is built into the trip.
Pere Marquette
From Chicago
4h · 1 daily departure each direction
Public Transportation
The Amtrak platform at Vernon J. Ehlers Station sits immediately south of The Rapid's Central Station, so the local network starts where your train stops — an unusually tidy arrangement for a city this size. The Silver Line and Laker Line are bus rapid transit along Division Avenue and out to Lake Michigan Drive; regular Rapid routes cover downtown and the museum district, all of which is walkable anyway.
Silver Line BRTLaker Line BRTRapid buses
Near Grand Rapids Amtrak Station
Where to stay in Grand Rapids
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What to do in Grand Rapids
HistoryMuseumGrand Rapids Art Museum
Closed Mon & Tue1–2 hours
On Monroe Center downtown, about 15 minutes' walk from the station. Closed Mondays and Tuesdays; free on Thursday evenings.
Details at artmuseumgr.org→
Art & OutdoorsFrederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park
RideshareHalf day
Worth the trip, but not without a car: it's about 7 miles out on the East Beltline with no practical bus. Plan on a rideshare each way.
Details at meijergardens.org→Rail stop · about 1 h southwest by Pere Marquette
Holland & Saugatuck
The Pere Marquette stops at Holland on every run between Chicago and Grand Rapids. Tulip Time, around the start of May, fills the town with tulips and visitors. De Zwaan, a working Dutch windmill brought from the Netherlands in 1964, grinds flour during the Windmill Island Gardens season (mid-April to early October).
Saugatuck is 15 minutes south of Holland: a small arts colony on the Kalamazoo River with galleries, a hand-cranked chain ferry (summer only) across to the dune country, and plenty of independent restaurants.
Both are easy adds. Trains pass Holland only once a day each way — late evening toward Grand Rapids, early morning toward Chicago — so the smoothest order is Grand Rapids first, a 40-minute rideshare to Holland, then the 6:49 AM train from Holland straight back to Chicago.
Take the train here
Ready-made trips through Grand Rapids
Good to know
Questions travelers ask
Does Amtrak go to Grand Rapids?
Yes. The Pere Marquette runs once a day between Chicago Union Station and Grand Rapids' Vernon J. Ehlers Station on the south edge of downtown, stopping at Holland on the way.
How long does it take to get to Grand Rapids from Chicago by train?
About four hours. The train leaves Chicago at 6:30 PM Central and arrives around 11:30 PM Eastern (Michigan is an hour ahead). The return leaves Grand Rapids at 6:00 AM and reaches Chicago at 9:08 AM.
Is there a train from Detroit to Grand Rapids?
Not directly — the Wolverine (Detroit) and the Pere Marquette (Grand Rapids) only meet in Chicago. Intercity buses connect the two cities in about three hours.
How do I get around Grand Rapids?
Downtown and the museum district are walkable. The Amtrak platform sits right beside The Rapid's Central Station, where the Silver Line and Laker Line bus rapid transit and regular Rapid routes start. Frederik Meijer Gardens and the airport are a rideshare away.
Which airport should I fly into for Grand Rapids?
Fly into Chicago O'Hare (ORD) — a major US hub with non-stop service from most US cities and most European capitals — then take Amtrak from Chicago Union Station to Grand Rapids. See the Getting there section above for the specific trains and typical journey times.